Chemistry and Biochemistry

Professional accreditation by the American Chemical Society

Wayne Bosma, Graduate Program Coordinator

The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry offers four graduate programs, the B.S./M.S. in Chemistry or Biochemistry and the M.S. in Chemistry or Biochemistry. The B.S./M.S. programs, commonly referred to as 4+1 programs, are integrated, accelerated, and research intensive programs that provide opportunities for students to begin an M.S. while completing requirements for the B.S. The M.S. programs are designed to meet the needs of the full-time graduate student or the chemist who wishes to pursue graduate studies on a part-time basis. These thesis-based programs are designed to provide a broad educational experience in the chemical or biochemical sciences while enhancing the student’s laboratory skills. The programs provide a solid foundation for immediate employment or further education.

Typical course sequencing schedules for all departmental majors may be found on the department’s website.

BS/MS in Chemistry or Biochemistry

Admission Requirements

BS/MS Admission Requirements (Undergraduate)

Students may apply to the program after completing CHM 252; to be admitted, the student must have achieved an overall GPA of 2.50, an average GPA of 2.75 in chemistry courses, and a C or better in all chemistry, mathematics, biology, and physics courses.

BS/MS Admission Requirements (Graduate)

To earn graduate status within the BS/MS program, students must have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work, a cumulative GPA of 2.75 in undergraduate chemistry courses, and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in graduate courses. For both BS/MS options, up to nine hours of graduate credit, taken during the final year of the bachelor's degree, can be dual counted for the combined degrees. If this option is selected, a minimum of 146 hours, 30 of which must be at the graduate level, must be earned. The Graduate Record Examination is not required for admission to this program.

Programmatic Requirements and Procedures

Program participants are expected to engage in full-time research experiences during the summers after their third, fourth, and fifth years.

Students must identify a research mentor/thesis advisor and begin their undergraduate research no later than the summer after their third year.

At the beginning of the fourth year, the student’s thesis committee shall be constituted. The committee members shall be chosen in consultation with the student, the thesis advisor, and the graduate coordinator. The committee shall include the thesis advisor (who is a non-voting member of the committee) and at least three other members. The majority of the members must be from the Bradley University Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and there must be an odd number of voting members.

The student must submit written progress reports to the thesis committee and the graduate coordinator no fewer than three times per year.

Before completion of the fourth year, the student must present a seminar (CHM 580, 1 credit) summarizing the literature relevant to the thesis project, any preliminary results, and an outline of the proposed research. Following the seminar, the student must meet with the thesis committee to discuss the presentation and the research plan.

The graduate coordinator, research mentor, and department chair must approve a Graduate Program of Study before the first day of classes of the student’s fourth year of study.

All matriculated graduate students (except those requiring a leave of absence) are required to be registered for at least one course for each fall and spring semester and one course during each summer from the semester of matriculation through the semester in which the degree is completed.

Upon completion of the thesis, the student must present the work in a research seminar (CHM 682, 1 credit) and successfully defend the thesis to the thesis committee. The voting members of the thesis committee shall determine the research seminar grade and when a thesis has satisfactorily met all standards.

Departmental Common Curriculum Requirements

Students in the B.S./M.S. programs must successfully complete the Chemistry and Biochemistry Common Curriculum Requirements. A grade of C or higher must be earned in CHM 110, 111, 116, 117, 252, and 253 before continuing on to the next course in this sequence.

One semester of biology (BIO 151), one year of college-level physics (PHY 110, 201 or PHY 107, 108) and calculus (MTH 121, 122 or MTH 115, 116) are also required of all majors.

BS/MS-Chemistry (CHM 4+1)

Students completing this degree option will receive an American Chemical Society Certified Degree. The B.S. degree will be awarded once the candidate has met the All-University Degree Requirements and completed the B.S./M.S. Common Curriculum Requirements and the B.S. Requirements listed below:

Total hours in the major required for the undergraduate degree: 69.5–70.5

MS Requirements for BS/MS Chemistry

A minimum of 30 hours of course work at the 500–600 level is required, including:

CHM 599 Research - 3 hrs.

CHM 624 Fundamentals of Separation Science - 3 hrs.

CHM 682 Thesis Research Seminar - 1 hr.

CHM 697 Research - 7 hrs.

CHM 699 Thesis - 1 hr.

The remaining graduate credits must be selected from the list of electives below:

Graduate Chemistry Electives

CHM 500 Chemical Topics - 1–3 hrs.

CHM 512 Molecular Modeling - 1 hr.

CHM 514 Chemical Group Theory - 1 hr.

CHM 516 Environmental Chemistry - 3 hrs.

CHM 526 Advanced Analytical Chemistry - 3 hrs.

CHM 528 Topics in Analytical Chemistry - 1–3 hrs.

CHM 532 Descriptive Inorganic Chemistry - 3 hrs.

CHM 538 Topics in Inorganic Chemistry - 1–3 hrs.

CHM 540 Materials Chemistry - 3 hrs.

CHM 541 Materials Chemistry Laboratory - 1 hr.

CHM 548 Topics in Materials Chemistry - 1–3 hrs.

CHM 550 Industrial Organic Chemistry - 1 hr.

CHM 552 Physical Organic Chemistry - 3 hrs.

CHM 554 Organic Spectroscopy - 3 hrs.

CHM 555 Organic Spectroscopy Laboratory - 1 hr.

CHM 558 Topics in Organic Chemistry - 1–3 hrs.

CHM 562 Protein Structure and Function - 3 hrs.

CHM 564 Biochemical Literature - 1–2 hrs.

CHM 566 Intermediary Metabolism - 3 hrs.

CHM 568 Topics in Biochemistry - 1–3 hrs.

CHM 577 Physical Chemistry Laboratory II - 1 hr.

CHM 578 Topics in Physical Chemistry - 1–3 hrs.

CHM 584 Readings in Chemistry or Biochemistry - 1–3 hrs.

Total hours required for the CHM 4+1 program: 91.5–92.5 hrs

BS/MS-Biochemistry (BCM 4+1)

The B.S. degree will be awarded once the candidate has met the All-University Degree Requirements and completed the B.S./M.S. Common Curriculum Requirements and the B.S. Requirements listed below:

BS Requirements for BS/MS Biochemistry

CHM 361 Biochemistry Laboratory - 1 hr.

CHM 465 Protein Structure and Function - 3 hrs.

CHM 471 Physical Chemistry Laboratory I - 1 hr.

CHM 499 Directed Studies in Chemistry - 2 hrs.

CHM 520 Instrumental Analysis - 4 hrs.

CHM 566 Intermediary Metabolism - 3 hrs.

CHM 580 Literature Seminar in Chemistry and Biochemistry - 1 hr.

BIO 310 Genetics - 4 hrs.

BIO 464 Cell Biology - 4 hrs.

Total hours required for the major: 71.5–72.5

MS Requirements for BS/MS Biochemistry

CHM 536 Inorganic Chemistry - 3 hrs.

CHM 599 Research - 3 hrs.

CHM 624 Fundamentals of Separation Science - 3 hrs.

CHM 682 Thesis Research Seminar - 1 hr.

CHM 697 Research - 7 hrs.

CHM 699 Thesis - 1 hr.

The remaining graduate credits may be selected from the lists of biochemistry and chemistry electives below, with no less than half of the credits coming from the biochemistry list.

Graduate Biochemistry Electives

CHM 564 Biochemical Literature - 1–2 hrs.

CHM 568 Topics in Biochemistry - 1–3 hrs.

BIO 503 Molecular Genetics - 3 hrs.

BIO 509 Human Genetics - 3 hrs.

BIO 568 Cell/Molecular Immunology - 3 hrs.

Chemistry Graduate Electives

CHM 500 Chemical Topics - 1–3 hrs.

CHM 512 Molecular Modeling - 1 hr.

CHM 514 Chemical Group Theory - 1 hr.

CHM 516 Environmental Chemistry - 3 hrs.

CHM 526 Advanced Analytical Chemistry - 3 hrs.

CHM 528 Topics in Analytical Chemistry - 1–3 hrs.

CHM 532 Descriptive Inorganic Chemistry - 3 hrs.

CHM 537 Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory - 1 hr.

CHM 538 Topics in Inorganic Chemistry - 1–3 hrs.

CHM 540 Materials Chemistry - 3 hrs.

CHM 541 Materials Chemistry Laboratory - 1 hr.

CHM 548 Topics in Materials Chemistry - 1–3 hrs.

CHM 550 Industrial Organic Chemistry - 1 hr.

CHM 552 Physical Organic Chemistry - 3 hrs.

CHM 554 Organic Spectroscopy - 3 hrs.

CHM 555 Organic Spectroscopy Laboratory - 1 hr.

CHM 558 Topics in Organic Chemistry - 1–3 hrs.

CHM 576 Physical Chemistry II - 3 hrs.

CHM 577 Physical Chemistry Laboratory II - 1 hr.

CHM 578 Topics in Physical Chemistry - 1–3 hrs.

CHM 584 Readings in Chemistry or Biochemistry - 1–3 hrs.

Total hours required for the BCM 4+1 program: 93.5–94.5

MS Degree (Chemistry or Biochemistry)

General MS Admission Requirements

In addition to the admission requirements of the Graduate School, the applicant shall have a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, biochemistry, or a related field and shall have completed one year each of college-level calculus and physics. The student must have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the last 60 hours of undergraduate course work, a cumulative GPA of 2.75 in undergraduate chemistry courses, and a C or better in each of the following courses and their accompanying labs: general chemistry, organic chemistry (two semesters), and analytical chemistry (one semester). Students lacking one of these courses may be admitted conditionally to the program, with full acceptance being granted after the course is completed. The course used to fill this deficiency will not apply to the M.S. degree. A maximum of six credits may be transferred into the program from an accredited graduate program.

Candidates for graduate teaching assistantships must have a personal interview with the chemistry graduate coordinator; international applicants may satisfy this requirement by telephone.

General MS Program Requirements:

Candidates for the M.S. degrees must complete a minimum of 32 graduate credits in chemistry and related subjects.

Program participants are expected to engage in full-time research experiences during the summers.

Students must identify a research mentor and begin their research in the first semester in which they are enrolled. If the research mentor is from the graduate faculty of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the mentor also serves as the thesis advisor.

If approved by the department chair and the graduate coordinator, the student may conduct research with a scientist (off campus or on campus) who is not a member of the department’s faculty. In that case, a member of the department’s graduate faculty must serve as the thesis advisor.

During the first semester of study, the student’s thesis committee shall be constituted. The committee shall be composed of at least four members, chosen in consultation with the student, the thesis advisor, and the graduate coordinator. The committee shall include the thesis advisor (who is non-voting) and at least three other members. If a research mentor from outside the department is directing the student’s research, the research mentor is an ex officio, non-voting member of the committee and the thesis advisor becomes a voting committee member. The majority of the members must be from the Bradley University Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, and there must be an odd number of voting members.

The student must submit written progress reports to the thesis committee and the graduate coordinator no fewer than three times per year.

Before completing three credit hours of research, the student must present a seminar (CHM 680, one credit) summarizing the literature relevant to the thesis project, any preliminary results, and an outline of the proposed research. Following the seminar, the student must meet with the thesis committee to discuss the presentation and the research plan.

The department’s graduate coordinator must approve a Graduate Program of Study within three months after the start of graduate study.

All matriculated graduate students (except those requiring a leave of absence) are required to be registered for at least one course for each fall and spring semester and one course during each summer from the semester of matriculation through the semester in which the degree is completed.

Upon completion of the thesis, the student must present the work in a research seminar (CHM 682, one credit) and successfully defend the thesis to the thesis committee. The voting members of the thesis committee shall determine the research seminar grade and when a thesis has satisfactorily met all standards.

MS Chemistry

Students must have completed (C or better) one semester of physical chemistry, with laboratory, at the undergraduate level.

Students must complete a total of 32 semester hours, including the required courses listed below. The graduate coordinator will review the transcript of each student to ensure that students do not repeat courses they have already completed (C or better) at the undergraduate level.

Required Courses

CHM 520 Instrumental Analysis - 4 hrs.

CHM 536 Inorganic Chemistry - 3 hrs.

CHM 576 Physical Chemistry II - 3 hrs.

CHM 624 Fundamentals of Separation Science - 3 hrs.

CHM 680 Literature Seminar - 1 hr.

CHM 682 Thesis Research Seminar - 1 hr.

CHM 697 Research - 10 total hrs.

CHM 699 Thesis - 1 hr.

The remaining credits may be selected from the list of chemistry electives below. A maximum of six graduate credit hours from cognate fields may be applied. Cognate courses must be approved, prior to enrollment, by the thesis advisor, department chair, and graduate coordinator.

Electives

CHM 500 Chemical Topics - 1–3 hrs.

CHM 512 Molecular Modeling - 1 hr.

CHM 514 Chemical Group Theory - 1 hr.

CHM 516 Environmental Chemistry - 3 hrs.

CHM 526 Advanced Analytical Chemistry - 3 hrs.

CHM 528 Topics in Analytical Chemistry - 1–3 hrs.

CHM 532 Descriptive Inorganic Chemistry - 3 hrs.

CHM 537 Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory - 1 hr.

CHM 538 Topics in Inorganic Chemistry - 1–3 hrs.

CHM 540 Materials Chemistry - 3 hrs.

CHM 541 Materials Chemistry Laboratory - 1 hr.

CHM 548 Topics in Materials Chemistry - 1–3 hrs.

CHM 550 Industrial Organic Chemistry - 1 hr.

CHM 552 Physical Organic Chemistry - 3 hrs.

CHM 554 Organic Spectroscopy - 3 hrs.

CHM 555 Organic Spectroscopy Laboratory - 1 hr.

CHM 558 Topics in Organic Chemistry - 1–3 hrs.

CHM 562 Protein Structure and Function - 3 hrs.

CHM 566 Intermediary Metabolism - 3 hrs.

CHM 568 Topics in Biochemistry - 1–3 hrs.

CHM 577 Physical Chemistry Laboratory II - 1 hr.

CHM 578 Topics in Physical Chemistry - 1–3 hrs.

CHM 584 Readings in Chemistry - 1–3 hrs.

MS Biochemistry

Students must have satisfactorily completed (B or better) one semester of biochemistry with laboratory at the undergraduate level.

Students must complete a total of 32 semester hours, including the required courses listed below. The graduate coordinator will review the transcript of each student to ensure that students do not repeat courses they have already completed (C or better) at the undergraduate level.

The remaining credits may be selected from the lists of biochemistry and chemistry electives below, with no less than half of those credits coming from the biochemistry list. A maximum of six graduate credit hours from cognate fields may be applied. Cognate courses must be approved, prior to enrollment, by the thesis advisor, department chair, and graduate coordinator.